well...
Posted on 10/05/2008 12:30:07 AM PDT by edpc
What will the next war look like? Recent statements from several senior Israeli military officials offer a surprising answer: Perhaps much like the last one.
Following on the Israel Defense Forces' failure in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, the army is likely to resume fortifying its maneuvering capability, represented by the Armored and Infantry Corps, at the expense of its firepower, particularly that of the Air Force.
However, a recent interview with GOC Northern Command Gadi Eisenkot, and articles written by two senior reserve officers, indicate that the IDF will continue to give first priority to firepower, even if the targets it chooses are different than those chosen in previous conflicts.
This is not merely a theoretical matter. Though neither Israel nor Hezbollah seems particularly interested in another round of fighting, another conflagration is certainly possible. This could come as a result of a revenge attack for the February killing of senior Hezbollah operative Imad Mughniyeh, for which the group blames Israel, or as an Israeli response to the group's smuggling of anti-aircraft weapons into Lebanon
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
"Hezbollah operates under optimal conditions from our perspective. A legitimate government runs Lebanon, supported by the West, but it is in fact entirely subordinate to the will of the Shi'ite organization," he writes.
Absolutely correct. Israel planned it a little too surgically last time, hoping the Lebanese would take the opportunity and rid themselves of Hezbollah once and for all. We now see where the Lebanese government chooses to stand when push comes to shove. Israel will be condemned internationally for any action it takes anyway, so they may as well make it count.
Too bad that 25 years ago Ariel Sharon wasn’t allowed to clean up Lebanon. The television coverage of the fighting stirred emotions that included those of Ronald Reagan, who made one of his few bad decisions.
Our Marines (along with French and Italians) landed then and a few hundred lost their lives to cover the escape of the PLO rats.
Israel will always be condemned.
So, with regards to any Israeli reaction...
GOOD!
Press on!
The only viable strategy against an existential enemy is, and will always be, total war.
Destroy them. Remorselessly, mercilessly, completely.
Use the absolute and unequivocal destruction of the current enemy as an abject lesson to any who come as enemy later.
Last time Hezbollah ran its own war and Lebanon the state was not a party to it. This time Lebanon has embraced Hezbollah and so the entire state must pay the price if they start something. That’s the technical side. The last time Israel was led by the Three Stooges, a labor leader as defence minister, an air force commander knowing nothing of ground or sea war in charge of the military, and a nincompoop as prime minister. The first two had the decency to resign after the war; for the third it took police investigations of corruption to force him out. Israel will never make that mistake again, put two square pegs in the round holes of defence minister and armed forces commander, and there is no nincompoop on the horizon running for PM.
I did pay attention during the last Israeli vs islamoscum fracas.
My hot tempered statement above was, actually, aimed more at the US than at Israel. I know Israel has the will in them to win. They’ve recently suffered from the same knee crawling, quivering, sniveling need to appease that has infected the US foreign policy efforts since the Cold War.
Hezbullcrap was a proxy for Syria and Iran. That Syria and Iran survived that intact was a huge mistake. That our own domestic lovers of the enemy continue to breath through necks unconstrained by a choking rope is also a huge mistake.
They may wish to sterilize the battlefield of lying scumbag media, both by excluding them from their own lines, and by ignoring their presence in target areas.
It's a good thing they are planning to do whatever they have to, regardless of the reaction of the "world", to protect themselves.
Go for it.
I was appalled by Israeli restraint in 2006 (perhaps egged on by the U.S.)
Completely wrong message. The green helmet guy can always find enough dead babies for propaganda films, or failing that kill some.
Make the Lebanonese pay a heavy price for harboring Hezbollah. Maybe you’ll drive them into the arms of Syrians, but how would the result be any worse?
Ah well, better Syria than Iran.
Israel uses restraint when it should rain down fire, & brutality when it should take it easy. Clueless.
High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]
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